Students present safety projects in Dr. Katelyn Hancock’s criminology class. Photo by Angela Foster.
Students in Dr. Katelyn Hancock’s criminology class recently spent their class time going on a “crime walk.”
Though the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has its own police force and safety experts, Hancock wanted her students to ask: What areas can be improved?
She tied this exercise into her lesson on Routine Activity Theory—the idea that crime occurs when motivated offenders, suitable targets and the absence of capable guardians come together in the same place at the same time.
“I really just wanted them to be able to have a real-life experience of the theory that we were learning about,” Hancock said. “I think connecting specific concepts from the theory to real, hands-on experiences for them helps make the theory more memorable.”
Students then used generative artificial intelligence to turn their notes into a safety plan, which they presented to a trio of UTC Department of Public Safety leaders—Director of Emergency Management Brett Fuchs, UTC Chief of Police Sean O’Brien and Deputy Chief Matt Holzmacher—during their in-class visit on Thursday, Oct. 30.
Chief Sean O’Brien (left), Deputy Chief Matt Holzmacher and Director of Emergency Management Brett Fuchs listened and responded to student presentations.
What safety concerns did they identify?
Bus stops that could be better lit, street parking areas with limited visibility, concerns about door locks in some buildings, and pedestrian safety at busy crosswalks were among the topics discussed.
After the student presentations, O’Brien, Holzmacher, and Fuchs shared their own observations and plans for improvement.
“I need to applaud you. You all are hitting on everything,” O’Brien told the class. “We’ve had a lot of transformation in public safety over the last 18 months in terms of who our staff is, where our mission is and what I expect of our folks.”
He discussed the Aug. 21 event on campus, when a hoax call led to a campus lockdown. He explained that UTC Public Safety has worked hard to build stronger connections with local, state and federal agencies so that everyone is ready to respond when needed.
“When I came here 18 months ago, I was given a very clear mission,” he said. “The biggest concern was acts of violence on campus, but behind that are all the everyday safety issues you’re bringing up. It’s my job to make sure we’redoing everything we can to keep everyone safe.”
A big part of the department’s focus, O’Brien told students, is pedestrian safety. He described a study conducted by UTC’s Center for Urban Informatics and Progress that utilized heat maps to track pedestrian activity and vehicle movement around campus, which helps public safety make improvements.
He said the department has also focused on increasing visibility of officers around campus.
“We now have a couple of e-bikes for officers to be on, and we’ve gotten some golf carts so that we can be more present,” he said. “I continue to encourage my officers to get out of the car, walk through campus, walk through your buildings, engage with students … We are this business of service.”
O’Brien also shared that UTC has been expanding its network of security cameras, several of which use AI to detect potential threats.
“We have roughly 900 cameras on campus,” O’Brien said. “Some of those now use AI technology for things like detecting weapons, identifying falls or injuries and flagging unusual activity after hours. It doesn’t replace people, but it helps us stay alert and aware when officers can’t be everywhere at once.”
Holzmacher followed by praising the students’ work.
“I was very impressed,” he said. “You struck a lot of our hearts. It’s almost like you’ve sat in some long meetings the way you hit on a lot of the key points.”
He shared that campus police are always one call away, even if a crime is not occurring. He said officers can help students who feel uneasy walking across campus at night by offering a ride or escort.
Fuchs concluded by sharing UTC’s safety app, SafeMocs, which is available on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Not only does the app contain information on safety plans and campus maps, but it also allows users to share their location and live stream in an emergency.
“An emergency alert will automatically allow you to let us know what’s going on,” Fuchs explained while he projected the app onto a screen. “You can tell us what is happening or just send an alert. It’s now going to text us as well as notify our dispatch that there’s something going on. It will live stream and record.”
A “friend walk” option in the app allows users to share their location with up to five contacts for a set duration.
“If you don’t turn it off, it’s automatically going to send an emergency alert to anyone that you send it to saying you need help in your exact location,” he said.
Following the discussion, Hancock said the experience was a learning opportunity for both her and her students.
“I learned that using generative AI for student activities can be useful, and the use of it for something like this does not take away from their ability to learn the material,” Hancock said. “I also learned that working together with our campus community is incredibly valuable.
“We learned today that UTC Public Safety and UTC Police are already working to alleviate many of our students’ concerns surrounding safety on campus, and I think it was extremely beneficial for our students to hear that.”
Montserrat Garcia, a student in the class, said the activity gave her a new perspective on campus and what safety really looks like.
“Usually you just walk, you see things and you don’t really think about it,” said Garcia, a junior criminal justice major who recently transferred from Pellissippi State Community College. “But having this assignment really let me say, ‘Oh wait, I never even thought about this being an issue.’”
She added that hearing from UTC Public Safety leaders helped her better understand campus resources.
“Having them talk and present the app, I thought that was super cool,” Garcia said. “I didn’t even think that was an option. I thought that was amazing and I think that would help improve so many students’ lives and help them feel safer.”
Learn more
UTC Department of Public Safety
